


Love in the Time of Cats

by sheryl_sems



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bellamy Has a Cat, Bellarke, Clarke Griffin & John Murphy Friendship, Clarke Wants to Co-own It, Developing Friendships, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Neighbours, The 100 - Freeform, the 100 au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-11
Updated: 2017-05-25
Packaged: 2018-10-17 18:20:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10599552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sheryl_sems/pseuds/sheryl_sems
Summary: Prompt: You live in the apartment next to me. We're not supposed to have pets, but I KNOW you have a cat. I'll make you a deal, I won't tell, if you let me pet it.~"So- I have reason to believe that you've recently acquired a cat." She says, pushing her own glasses up the bridge of her nose. She sees his Adam's apple bob and she refrains from shouting an immature 'ah-ha!'"Uh- you must be mistaken." He says, eyes darting away from her for a second."No, I'm pretty sure I'm not." She says and suddenly really hopes she's actually right about this.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I received the prompt "You live in the apartment next to me. We're not supposed to have pets, but I KNOW you have a cat. I'll make you a deal, I won't tell, if you let me pet it" and I found it absolutely ideal for satisfying my itch to write an adorable fluffy domestic Bellarke-as-neighbours fic :') Enjoy this one and leave any comments/prompts you'd like me to do/kudos if you deem fit/bookmarks if you like it enough xxx

 

 

Clarke knows that she's right. It's been a week and there have been too many  _symptoms_ to ignore. 

 

 

It started last Sunday when there was a knock on her neighbour's door and when he answered it, she heard his sister squealing which was followed up quickly with him hushing her.

 

 

And then on the Monday when he hushed apparently _nobody_ in the corridor that linked their doors and the main staircase. She had been painting in her kitchen and she could hear him leave his apartment after which something he could hear (but she couldn't) made him whisper "ssshhh" _?_ Was he sneaking _someone_ out of or into his apartment? Or _something_ that could make noises? 

 

 

And then on Wednesday, she was lying on her sofa reading a book when she heard something scratching the other side of her door. She tore her eyes away from her book to stare at the door and _there_! It happened again and she definitely wasn't imagining it. She sat up straight when she heard her neighbour _stumble_ out of his flat, from the sounds of it, and then he was definitely right outside her door whispering "no, no, no!" She had shot to her feet and flown to her door to peer into the peephole but she only managed to catch his back retreating into his apartment. 

 

 

And then on Friday when passing his door on her way to the staircase, she had heard the crashing of a glass followed by loud swearing along the lines of "oh for the love of- come on, Apollo! You literally looked at me while pushing that over!" Clarke had taken a quick look around before shifting closer to his door and pressing her ear to it. And that's when she heard the unmistakable sound of a _meow._

 

 

Not to mention yesterday when her mother came to visit and had an allergic reaction originating from the staircase landing and her mother is only _that_ allergic to one thing. Cats. 

 

 

So that brings her to this very moment, exactly a week later, her knuckles poised above his door. She _has_ to be right. Really, she's not nervous about confronting him about his potential cat, rather it's the confrontation in itself. She's spoken to him before, sure. She had gone up and introduced herself two months ago when he first moved in (" _Hi, I'm Clarke, I live across from you"_ for which she got the response " _Bellamy Blake, it's nice to meet you_ " to which she accidentally blurted out " _What kind of a name is Bellamy?"_ ). But after that, it had been just the occasional hi's and hello's when they _did_ bump into each other- which wasn't often considering her supremely odd and long hours at the hospital and his 9 to 5 job as a history teacher. 

 

 

She's nervous because he's _ridiculously_ attractive. He has curly black hair and olive-coloured skin and big eyes, the corners of which crinkle up adorably when he smiles (she's seen it at its prime when he introduced her to his visiting sister, Octavia). What makes him all the more attractive is the fact that he's so bloody _nice._

 

 

She shakes her head, takes a deep breath (and okay so maybe she quickly pats her hair down to make it look more presentable) and knocks. She doesn't realise she's holding her breath until the door opens a few inches and he peeks around the gap and she wants to sharply suck in her breath because _damn_ but she can't because _jesus christ she's holding her breath_ so she slowly exhales through her nose and forces her heart to slow down. If he notices her strange behaviour, he doesn't show it. He just waits patiently until she's ready to talk.

 

 

"Hey." She finally says, trying to ignore the way his glasses are sitting slightly crookedly on his nose and his hair is dishevelled. 

 

 

"Hi, Clarke, how can I help you?" He asks pleasantly. 

 

 

"So- I have reason to believe that you've recently acquired a cat." She says, pushing her own glasses up the bridge of her nose. She sees his Adam's apple bob and she refrains from shouting an immature ' _ah-ha!_ '

 

 

"Uh- you must be mistaken." He says, eyes darting away from her for a second. 

 

 

"No, I'm pretty sure I'm not." She says and suddenly _really_ hopes she's actually right about this. "My mother had an allergic reaction yesterday when she visited and she's only _that_ allergic to cats. Also I heard meowing when I walked past your door."

 

 

He's silent for a second before saying, "Octavia brought over her cat yesterday so that's probably what you heard."

 

 

"I heard the meowing on _Friday_. Do you want to try again?" Clarke asks, raising an eyebrow. "Maybe don't try so hard to push the poor thing out of the way of the door jamb using your _foot_." His jaw clenches and she looks down to see his foot struggling against an unseen force out of sight from the gap between the frame and the door. "Pets aren't allowed in the building. It's in our tenancy contract. Landlord hates animals." 

 

 

He sighs and stops struggling before swooping down and picking something off the floor near his legs. When he stands to his full height again, her lips stretch into a smile and her hands immediately reach out to pet the grey kitten nestled in Bellamy's arms. 

 

 

"Look, I'll find him another home next week, okay? Please don't tell the landlord." He says, the corner of his lips tilting downwards.

 

 

"Are you kidding me?" Clarke laughs. "A kitten across from the hall and you think I want it gone?" 

 

 

"Isn't that why you're here?" He asks slowly, raising his eyes to meet hers. 

 

 

"Heck no!" She says, scratching the kitten behind his ears. "I love cats, just don't have the time to keep one myself, what with my job. I came here to strike a deal- you let me visit and catsit and I won't tell the landlord." 

 

 

He releases a disbelieving laugh and leaves the smile on his face after. "Deal. I'm sorry about your mother's allergic reaction, by the way."

 

 

"It wasn't bad, don't worry. But it should be enough to keep her from visiting too often." Clarke grins widely at Bellamy and he shakes his head in amusement. "Sorry if I worried you about getting you evicted."

 

 

"I was more concerned about finding the cat a new home than finding myself one. Is that weird?" He asks and she's left staring at him because _can he get any more adorable?_

 

 

"Nah, that's fair, sounds like something I would do." She smiles at him again and finds her cheeks grow warm when he grins back at her. "So- illegal cat co-owners?"

 

 

"What? No! I'm definitely the only illegal owner here, you're just an accomplice." 

 

 

"We're-" She glances down at her watch, "-four minutes into our new friendship and we're already having our first disagreement." 

 

 

"I mean- if it ever becomes too much of a problem, you could just get me evicted." He shrugs and grins cheekily at her. 

 

 

She frowns. "Then I lose the cat." 

 

 

"I guess you're stuck with accomplice then." 

 

 

She sighs dramatically. "The things I do for you, Bellamy Blake." 

 

 

"The things you do for the _cat,_ you mean."

 

 

" _Five_ minutes into our new friendship and you already know me _so_ well." 

 

 

"Well then, here's my offer to get even- would you like to come in and have a cup of tea with me to get to know me as well as I know you?" 

 

 

Only two weeks later there's a report of a cat-sighting in the building and the landlord comes around to carry out a surprise check of every apartment. The man has just checked Clarke's apartment and has gone over to knock on Bellamy's door and Clarke hopes that her text has reached him in time. Bellamy opens the door with a gym bag slung over his shoulder and his eyes meet Clarke's across the corridor. 

 

 

"Good morning, Mr. Blake, I'm here to run a quick check of your apartment to see that our contract is not being breached?" Pike says politely, a clipboard in his hand. 

 

 

"Yeah, of course! Could I just hand Clarke her bag? She stayed the night with me and left some of her clothes behind." Clarke's eyebrows shoot up and her cheeks go warm and when Bellamy throws in a suggestive smirk, Pike quickly averts his eyes from Bellamy and the bag and nods hastily. Clarke swears she's never seen him look so cocky as he saunters over brazenly to her with the smirk still on his face.

 

 

"Ready to prove yourself as my evil accomplice?" He mumbles as he passes her the bag and as she shoulders it, she feels the body of the bag moving around and notices that it is only half zipped. She looks around Bellamy to see Pike watching them so she shoots up on her toes and presses her lips against his cheek. 

 

 

"Co-owner." She whispers and drops back on her feet to glare at him. 

 

 

He laughs and replies, "We'll talk about" before winking and walking back to his apartment, Pike once again having averted his eyes. When they're celebrating their sly manoeuvre with drinks and pizza later that night in his apartment, he writes something on a napkin with the pen he's using to correct an essay before passing it over to her. When she reads the words, she feels a whole lot of warmth and a giddy amount of happiness wash over her.

 

 

"Apollo's Co-Owners" it reads in capitals in his neat scrawl with his signature underneath on the left. He slides her his pen and with a large smile on her face, she signs her name beside his. When she returns to his apartment three days later, the napkin is framed and hung up in his living room above Apollo's bed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few people requested for more after the first chapter so I went ahead and wrote a few more bits! Some John Murphy, some Octavia Blake, some Abby Griffin (who I LOVE on the show by the way, it was just convenient to write her differently for this chapter!), and some TV marathoning :') Enjoy xx

Clarke slips out of the driver's seat and waits for Murphy to get out before locking the doors. They walk up to the front door of the building and he has his keys out before her. She realised John Murphy both lived in the same building as her and worked in the same hospital when they were both called in on emergency when a school bus caught fire a month ago and he had crashed into her leaving her apartment as he sprinted down the stairs. They stopped to stare at each other, both in Ark General Hospital scrubs, before she asked if he worked at AGH and he nodded and they drove to the hospital in her car since his was in repair at a garage. Since then, they often carpool to and from work when they find that their hours coincide. They're not _friends_ per-se but they get along decently and they both appreciate the fact that neither find the need to fill silence with small-talk. He doesn't know much about her life, and she doesn't know much about his and they are both okay with that.

 

 

Today as they climb the stairs leading to their respective apartments (he lives two floors above hers), she notices that he looks unusually tired and maybe even a little bit _sad._

 

 

"You okay?" She asks softly and a bit awkwardly. 

 

 

He looks surprised and gives her a sidelong glance before nodding curtly. "Lost a patient." 

 

 

"I'm sorry to hear that." Clarke says. They've both lost patients before so they know that saying anything more than this will mean nothing when their loss is still so fresh. More often than not, they don't even say anything to each other.

 

 

He nods again and shrugs, trying to look his usual disinterested. "Happens."

 

 

"Yeah, but it's still hard every time." Clarke says quietly as they reach her landing. "If you- uh- need anything, you can call." She makes sure to keep her eyes on him despite every instinct to awkwardly look away. _Being there for each other_ isn't exactly in their acquaintanceship manual.

 

 

"Thanks." He says, traces of surprise still evident in his features. "See you Thursday." 

 

 

"Yeah, good night." She says and turns to her door as he disappears up the stairs. She opens her purse and pushes her hand through the different compartments, seeking out her keys. When her fingers don't close around her furry cat keychain in the next 15 seconds, she begins to worry. Her eyebrows come together and she kneels down on the floor to upturn the contents of her bag. With the realisation that her keys are definitely _not_ there, she feels frustrated tears rise to her eyes as she replaces all her belongings back into her bag. 

 

 

She has a few options. The first being that she could drive back to the hospital and find her keys but it was 3 in the morning and she was _exhausted_ and she didn't want to run the risk of falling asleep at the wheel. She could try to get a cab there but it would cost a bomb and she isn't sure she'll be able to get one on the road at this hour anyway. Her next option was to go over to Raven's and crash there but she was 99% sure that her girlfriend, Gina, was staying the night. Calling her mother was an option she really didn't want to consider. She could sleep out here in the corridor, or-

 

 

She loos at Bellamy's door. She knows he has class tomorrow and that he was most definitely asleep at this ungodly hour. She knows that he wouldn't hate her if she _did_ ring his bell and ask to crash on his couch for the night. And she doesn't really have any other options… Besides, what's the worst that can happen? He'll get ticked off at her and slam the door in her face and never speak to her again, which- okay, she would really rather that _not_ happen. 

 

 

With a deep breath, she pulls herself to her feet and goes to ring his doorbell before she can talk herself out of it because this _is_ her best option. She can feel the anxiety build up in her chest as the next few seconds tick by but she tries to stomp it down by telling herself to just _take it as it comes._

 

 

Soon she can hear movement from inside the apartment and then the door is opening in front of her. Bellamy's standing there in checkered pyjama bottoms and a white round-necked t-shirt and his hair is dishevelled and the only light switched on is the lamp by his sofa so he's squinting a bit at her.  

 

 

"Clarke?" He says, his voice rough from sleep. He clears it and as he takes in her scrubs, haphazardly tied hair and slightly wet eyes, his features shift to concern. "Are you okay?"

 

 

"Yeah," She nods, swiping at her eyes to get rid of the stray tears. "I'm really sorry- I know it's really late and you have work tomorrow, but- I think I left my keys back in the hospital so I can't get into my flat and I didn't really know what to do and I thought about other options but none of them seem very feasible at this hour so I just-"

 

 

"Clarke, breathe." He interrupts gently, his hands coming to rest on her shoulders, which slump with exhaustion at the contact. 

 

 

She brings a hand up to push her fingers through her hair tiredly. "I'm really sorry, Bellamy. It was a nine hour shift and I didn't know what to do. I know I've only known you properly for three weeks now and there's no reason really for you to say yes to me crashing on your couch for the night and you can absolutely say no and I'll figure something else out. Jesus- I'm just so sorry." When she looks up to meet his eyes, the corner of his lip is quirked up and he's looking at her with a half-fond and half-amused expression.

 

 

"You through?" He asks. She stares at him for a second before nodding jerkily. "You're crazy if you think I'm going to turn you away, Clarke. You're asking for a place to sleep for the night, not for access to my bank account." Which, he notes to himself, he would probably have given her too. "And forget the couch, you can take the spare bedroom. I don't care that I've known you for only three weeks, you're very important to me and I'd rather you not have to spend the night on the floor between our doors. Besides, what would I tell Apollo? He'd be so mad if I did that." 

 

 

She releases a soft laugh and she would later blame her tiredness but at that moment, she surges forward and hugs him, her arms going around his waist. She's never hugged him before like this- so close, so intimately. The most intimate they've been was a week ago when she kissed his cheek to throw Pike off their cat-keeping scent and they never really spoke about it again. They've spent a considerable amount of time together over the past three weeks but this moment feels like something _new_ , something precious. She can feel his chuckle rumble through his chest and then he's putting his arms around her back and resting his cheek against the top of her head and she feels a sudden urge to burst into tears. When she's managed to pull herself together and pull away from him, he just smiles at her before stepping aside to let her into his flat.

 

\---

 

When she wakes up the next morning, her head is aching a little and she burrows deeper into the covers because she's only in her underclothing and it's cold and rainy outside. She takes a moment to look around the unfamiliar room- the dark blue curtains and cupboard, the black side-table and bed-frame and beige carpeted floor and white walls. 

 

 

_You're crazy if you think I'm going to turn you away, Clarke._

 

 

She feels warmth pool at her stomach and lets her lips curl into a soft smile. She feels  _lucky_ to have him as her friend, as silly and cheesy as that sounds. She was never the most social person. She's known Wells since they were babies so he's practically her default friend. She met Jasper and Monty at University six years ago and they've stuck around ever since. She was dating a boy in her second year of University who turned out to have already been engaged to somebody else- that somebody was Raven and the two ditched Finn in a heartbeat and became fast friends from the situation, supporting each other through the aftermath. But other than the four of them- she didn't really have anyone else. So this was _nice._ It makes her feel warm and _excited._

 

 

She allows herself another five minutes in bed- it's 10:22 according to her phone- before pushing the covers aside and throwing on her jeans and a white jumper that were stashed in her backpack from yesterday. When she enters the living room, the first thing she sees is Apollo jumping off the sofa and trotting towards her. She bends down to pick him up and makes her way into the kitchen where she can see a plate covered with a bowl and a cup of orange juice sitting on the table. There's a post-it attached to the bowl with Bellamy's neat scrawl on it.

 

 

_Made some extra breakfast, help yourself to it. Stay as long as you need, hope you slept OK_

_-Bellamy_

 

 

She smiles and pockets the note before sitting down at the table and uncovering the plate. The smell of bacon and eggs hit her immediately and her stomach gives a timely rumble, making her sit down at the table. She finishes the meal and washes the dishes within the next fifteen minutes, washing up the ones he had left behind in the sink as well, before leaving the apartment and heading to her car to drive back to the hospital. Once she finds her keys in her locker, she snaps a picture of it and sends it to Bellamy, with the message:

 

 

_Found them! Thank you so much for everything. I'll come by later today to put your guest room sheets in my washing! I owe you x_

 

 

When he replies five minutes later, Harper catches her smiling at her phone (" _What's got you smiling like_ that _?")_ and Clarke responds by ducking her head and smiling a little more.

 

+++

 

 

The second time she sees Octavia Blake is in the waiting room of Ark General two weeks later. She and Harper have just treated a young man who had been in a car crash with a concussion, broken arm and other minor injuries that they stitched up and Harper is updating his chart while Clarke is tasked with informing his partner that he will be fine. 

 

 

She steps out of the room and closes the door behind her, her eyes searching for his partner's name on the form. She finds it and her eyebrows come together as she recognises the name. 

 

 

_Octavia Blake._

 

 

There can't possibly be more than one Octavia Blake in Ark City, could there? She looks up and her eyes instantly fall on the only figure in the waiting room. Octavia is much like her brother with her dark black hair, big eyes and strong jawline. She's wringing her hands together anxiously and has tears in her eyes and she's about to call her name out when somebody beats her to it.

 

 

"Octavia?!" Both their heads whip in the direction of the familiar deep voice. Bellamy has just rushed into the waiting area, his black shirt slightly untucked and his eyes wide with concern. 

 

 

"Bellamy!" Octavia cries, jumping to her feet and flying at her brother, who catches her and hugs her tightly. "We- we were- the car was just suddenly- oh god, Bellamy!"

 

 

"Ssshh," Bellamy whispers, his fingers curling around the back of her shirt. Clarke feels like she's intruding on a very private moment and averts her eyes. "It's okay. It's going to be okay."

 

 

"What if it isn't, Bell? What if I lost him?" Octavia cries, clinging tighter to her brother.

 

 

"You didn't." Clarke finally speaks. Bellamy's eyes dart up to meet hers and she offers him a weak smile and a wave. Octavia breaks apart from Bellamy and spins around.

 

 

"Clarke? It's Clarke, right?" Octavia speaks, glancing at Bellamy quickly for confirmation. He nods and she moves quickly to stand in front of Clarke. "Is he okay? Is Lincoln okay?"

 

 

"Yes." Clarke nods, feeling awkward for a reason she can't really place. "He suffered a concussion and a broken arm and we had to give him a few stitches for some injuries but he's going to be fine." She stumbles back a step before steadying herself when Octavia throws her arms around Clarke's neck and hugs her tightly.

 

 

"Thank you. Thank you so much." She whispers.

 

 

Clarke tightens her arms around the other girl before pulling apart. "I'm glad you're okay." 

 

 

"Thanks." Octavia smiles, wiping at her eyes and releasing a long breath through her mouth before smiling wider. "Did you know who Lincoln was? I mean- that he arrived with me?"

 

 

"I didn't," Clarke shakes her head.

 

 

"What exactly happened?" Bellamy asks, coming to stand closer to them.

 

 

"Some guy skipped a red light and drove his car straight into the driver's side of our car so Lincoln got hit." Octavia says, blinking as her eyes well up. "Sorry," She releases a small, weak laugh. "I think I'm still in a bit of shock." Bellamy puts his arm around her shoulders and pulls her into his side. "I'm okay, though. And so is Lincoln- so it's all going to be okay."

 

 

"It already is, O." Bellamy presses a kiss into her hair. "I'm sorry I couldn't come earlier. My phone was on silent and I was taking a class."

 

 

"It's okay." Octavia says. "We were in good hands." She smiles warmly and brightly at Clarke, who smiles back softly. "Can I go in and see him?" 

 

 

"Yeah, you should be good to." Clarke says. She quickly checks with Harper, who gives her a thumbs up, and holds the door open for Octavia and Bellamy but the latter stays where he is. "I'm going to go wash up," She says, gesturing in the general direction of the staff toilets. "I'll see you back home?" 

 

 

"What time do you finish?" He asks, pushing his hands into his pockets. 

 

 

She checks her watch and sees that it's ten minutes to eight. "Visiting hours end in ten minutes and then I have another hour." 

 

 

"Are you going home with Murphy or someone?"

 

 

"No, he started two hours after me today so he heads home at eleven. I had to send my car over for repairs again," She rolls her eyes, "so I'll probably take the bus back home."

 

 

Bellamy frowns but nods and she waves him goodbye before heading in the direction of the staff break room and toilets. She eats a quick dinner and heads off to check on her regular patients and the hour passes fairly quickly. Before she knows it, she's changing out of her scrubs and checking her bag for her keys and wallet before hugging Harper and Monty and heading to the lobby. She can feel the exhaustion creeping through her bones and she feels like she would have killed to have her car rather than have to spend an extra fifteen minutes waiting for the bus and then an extra half an hour on the actual journey. Just as she's waving goodbye to Maya at the front desk, she hears her name being called.

 

 

She turns to her right and sees Bellamy in the lobby waiting room getting to his feet quickly. She walks towards him, a confused frown on her face. 

 

 

"Hey, Bellamy, are you okay? What are you still doing here?"

 

 

"Uh- yeah, yeah I'm fine, I was just-" He scratches the back of his head and looks away from her for a second before looking back. "I was just waiting for you- thought you might want a ride home." 

 

 

She feels that familiar warmth she has begun to associate with Bellamy wash over her and her lips begin to quirk upwards on their own accord. "Oh. You waited a whole hour for me?" 

 

 

He makes a show of looking at his watch and sighing loudly, his usually cocky confidence clearly making a reappearance. "An hour and fifteen minutes but, yes."

 

 

She releases a soft laugh. "You didn't have to."

 

 

He shrugs a shoulder. "No, but I wanted to. Shall we?" She nods and feels her smile grow wider as they walk to his car together. She slips into the passenger seat after he moves his book bag to the backseats and she settles in comfortably, realising that this is the first time they've ever been outside their apartment building together. She isn't able to give it much thought because a few minutes into the journey, her eyes flutter shut and the next thing she remembers is being shaken awake gently. 

 

 

"Clarke, we're home." She forces her eyes open and sees the driver's seat empty. She turns her head and Bellamy is on her left one hand on the top of the open door and the other on her shoulder. He smiles at her and she finds herself smiling back, waves of tiredness washing over her. "Let's get you to your warm and comfortable room, okay?" She nods and unbuckles her seatbelt and climbs out of the car. He shuts the door and locks it behind them and they make their way in silence up to their landing. 

 

 

"Thank you." She's surprised to find that he says it the same moment she does. He gestures to her to go first. "Thank you for waiting for me and driving me home." 

 

 

He nods. "Of course." She waits for him to go on as he takes a deep breath. "Thank you for saving Lincoln." He says it with so much sincerity that it makes her duck her head, cheeks warm.

 

 

"I was just doing my job and- I didn't really _save_ him. He was going to be okay." She shrugs lightly.

 

 

"Octavia and I don't really let a lot of people into our lives." Bellamy says and she looks up at him. He's fidgeting with the strap of his book bag as he speaks. "We- had a rough time growing up." He's never spoken about his childhood much. His years before becoming a high school teacher. "My dad took off when I was three and we never knew O's father. Mom tried her best when she was alive but we struggled a lot. I took care of O more than she did but then she died when I was eighteen and O was just fifteen and it got a whole load tougher. We kept to ourselves because we couldn't really afford to socialise and as the years passed, it became harder for us to let people into our lives. It got better only once I had a teaching degree and O got out of college and we both got jobs." He ducks his head. "What I'm trying to say is that- Lincoln was the first person she ever trusted. Properly and truly trusted. And he's probably one of the only people other than Miller that _I_ trust with Octavia. Losing him would have- I would have lost Octavia too and-" He shakes his head. "I don't really want to think about it. When I got O's message saying they were in hospital, I- jesus, I felt like my world was crumbling." He releases a shaky laugh and runs his hand through his hair. Before he can say anything else, Clarke reaches out and grabs his other hand. His eyes move from her hand on his up to meet her eyes.

 

 

"You didn't lose him _or_ Octavia." She says softly, squeezing his hand. "They're okay and so are you. And thank you for sharing that with me."

 

 

He nods. "I know I don't speak about my past a lot. I guess it's just not something I'm proud of."

 

 

"You didn't choose the way you grew up, Bellamy." Clarke says firmly. "You have nothing to be ashamed of. If anything, you _should_ be proud. Look how far you and Octavia have come. You did good, Bellamy. Your mother would be proud of you."

 

 

He stares at her a moment before pulling his hand away from hers and it hits her that she probably overstepped. She shouldn't have said anything, she should have just- 

 

 

Her anxious thoughts are silenced as he moves closer to her and puts his arms around her shoulders and pulls her against his chest. She stays frozen for a second before wrapping her arms around his waist and clinging on tightly. 

 

 

"Thank you, Clarke." He whispers against her hair. "I'm glad I let you in." 

 

 

"You should probably be thanking Apollo." She mumbles back, smiling. He chuckles and tightens his hold before releasing her. She pulls apart and her cheeks are warm and she tucks her hair behind her ear. 

 

 

"O's coming over for lunch on Saturday. Do you want to join us?" She stares at him and he quickly says, "I mean- you can say no of course. Especially if you have something to do and-"

 

 

"No- I mean, yes- I mean, I would love to." She says. "If you're sure you don't mind me there."

 

 

"Are you kidding?" Bellamy says, laughing. "I'd love you there and Octavia definitely needs a new girl-friend."

 

 

"Okay." Clarke says, smiling softly. "Shall I come around at 12 maybe?"

 

 

"That would be perfect." Bellamy nods. 

 

 

"Maybe I'll see you tomorrow?" Clarke asks, walking backwards to her door. It's a friday tomorrow and she has no work while Bellamy does but she's secretly hoping they bump into each other at some point anyway.

 

 

"I really hope so. 'Night, Clarke." He says and gives her a last smile and wave before turning towards his door. She replies with a soft goodnight and enters her flat. She catches herself smiling with a startling frequency over the next hour before she sleeps. She decides she could get quite used to the corners of her lips quirking up when she least expects it.

 

 

+++

 

 

The first time Bellamy meets Abby Griffin, it's 8pm and he's just returned from the grocery store. He fishes out his set of keys from his coat pocket and fumbles until he finds the one attached to a bright pink keyring. 

 

The evening after Clarke had had lunch with him and Octavia, she had feebly given him her spare key and mumbled ' _just in case I forget mine at the hospital'._ He knew it had been a big step for her- to trust someone _that_ much and he had accepted the key with a squeeze to her hand. It had been two weeks since then and he had recently begun buying things she needed at the grocery store and dropping them off at her place while she was at the hospital. The first time he had done it was a week ago when he noticed a new flavour of tea he thought she might like during his own shopping and put it in his basket. On the way out, he remembered her complaining about her empty jar of pesto and placed a new jar amongst his things before checking out. When he learnt she wasn't in, he texted her asking if he could leave something on her kitchen counter and she replied a yes. Now whenever he went out to the store, it just felt _right_ to pick things up for her too. She was always working crazy hours at the hospital and when she wasn't, she was too tired to get out of bed. It felt right.

 

 

He puts her key into her lock and turns it, using his shoulder to push the door open while cradling the groceries in his other hand. He doesn't look up as he enters, checking to make sure the paper bag Clarke's things were in are still intact, so when a throat clears in front of him, he jumps.

 

 

"Excuse me?! Can I help you?!" He looks up to see an older woman sitting on the sofa with a book. He recognises her from photos. Abby Griffin, Clarke's mother.

 

 

He isn't really sure how to explain himself and opens his mouth to release an "um- I-" What would he say? _I'm your daughter's neighbour and I sometimes shop for her and have her spare key to enter her apartment at my leisure?_ Probably wouldn't go down well with the stern looking lady in front of him.

 

 

"Bellamy?" Both their heads whip to the side and he sees Clarke emerging from her bedroom in patterned pajamas and a white jumper, rubbing a towel against her wet hair. He stares at her and she looks at him, the groceries and then at her mother.

 

 

"Clarke, who is this and why does he have a key to your apartment?"

 

 

"Mom, this is Bellamy. He's my neighbour." She says slowly, and he can practically _see_ her mind rushing through ways in which she could explain this to her mother. 

 

 

"And why does he have a key to your apartment?" 

 

 

Clarke's shoulders slump and she sighs. "Because he's my best friend and when I'm not working at the hospital, I'm too tired to do my own grocery shopping so he's kind enough to give me a hand with it sometimes." 

 

 

Abby looks skeptical. "Right. And how long have you known him? To trust him enough to give him your _key?_ "

 

 

"Excuse me? How long have _you_ known him? To be making judgements so quickly?" Clarke snaps and he's taken aback by the defensiveness in her tone.

 

 

"Clarke! I'm just looking out for you."

 

 

"You always are." Clarke mutters before looking at Bellamy. "Can I talk to you for a second?" He nods mutely and she ushers him to the kitchen. She closes the door behind them and then slumps against the island. "I'm sorry about my mother."

 

 

"Yeah, no, that's fine." He shakes his head. "I mean- there's nothing to apologise for. She kind of has reason to worry about giving your key to your neighbour, who apparently walks into your flat whenever he wants to."

 

 

Clarke smiles and releases a breath. "She's just- she likes to criticise me all the time and just- she doesn't trust me." The smile disappears and she ducks her head a bit. 

 

 

"There's still nothing to apologise for." Bellamy shrugs. He wants to reach out to her but his arms are full of groceries. "I bought you a red-velvet cupcake." She lifts her head and then suddenly seems to notice the bags. She reaches out and takes them from him, placing them on the island. 

 

 

"Oh, Bellamy, you shouldn't have. I really need to break this habit of yours or I'm going to get so lazy."

 

 

Bellamy laughs a bit. "You're not lazy, Clarke, you're knackered after a long day at work and I've spent too much time taking care of people because of O to break the habit." 

 

 

Clarke smiles softly, "Still… thank you anyway. Now I just need to deal with my mother." 

 

 

"You going to be okay?" He asks. She shrugs, the smiling slipping a bit again. "She loves you."

 

 

"She has a funny way of showing it." Clarke laughs humourlessly. "It's okay, I'll be fine. She leaves in an hour."

 

 

This time he doesn't have groceries in his arms and so he pushes forward and places a hand on her shoulder, presses his lips against her forehead for a moment before pulling away. "If you need some company afterwards, Apollo and I will be up for a while, okay? Don't hesitate. Promise?"

 

 

"I'll probably take you up on that." She responds, her skin tingling where he had kissed her. "Thanks, Bellamy."

 

 

"Always here." She leads him out of the room and he awkwardly waves goodbye at Abby before closing the front door behind him. Clarke spends the next full hour with her mother, the prospect of going over to Bellamy afterwards growing more appealing every second, not that it wasn't already appealing when he made the offer. 

 

 

When she pads over to his apartment with her jar of hot chocolate powder tucked under her arm, his door is already unlocked and she enters to find him comfortably seated on one side of the sofa, his legs stretched out onto the coffee table in front of him. He's watching an episode of Clarke's favourite superhero TV show, one that he's been trying to catch up with for her. He grins widely at her and nods at the seat beside him and she holds up the chocolate powder in response. He sighs dramatically and makes a show of following her to the kitchen and they make small talk while they wait for the milk to heat up. When they're done, she drops onto the sofa and Bellamy pulls the coffee table a little closer so her legs can reach. He then settles down beside her, closer than usual, and they spend the next few hours marathoning the latest five episodes of _Arrow,_ officially bringing Bellamy up to date. When Apollo curls up on her lap halfway through the second episode, they reach down to place their palms on her back at the same time. Clarke freezes but Bellamy doesn't, placing his hand on top of hers, eyes never leaving the television screen. She relaxes and leans into his shoulder a little more and they both decide that they're really quite comfortable this way.

 

 

***


End file.
